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More Proverbs

Proverbs 16:1

Men think and speak freely, without external compulsion. But the LORD sovereignly rules both for His own glory and purposes. Man proposes; God disposes. No man can or will think and speak wisely without the grace of God. And no man's thoughts or speech surprise or disappoint the all-disposing will of our omniscient and omnipotent Creator.

Reader, humble yourself before this glorious God. Put your trust in Him, call upon Him, obey Him, and thank Him for any preparation in your heart toward Him!

No man has ever made a choice in his heart or uttered a word with his lips that was not directed and ruled altogether by the Most High. Man thinks and speaks freely, for he feels no pressure but his own desires and motives; but God nevertheless controls every part of the process and uses both the thoughts and the words to accomplish His own purposes. If there is any evil that will not praise Him, He restrains it; but He uses all the rest to accomplish His own praise, regardless of what the person thinks (Ps 76:10; Is 10:5-15).

The LORD does not put evil in a man's heart, for there is plenty there already. Scripture is very plain that God does not tempt any man by putting evil in his heart (Jas 1:13-16). But Scripture is just as plain that God uses the evil that is there for His own designs. In fact, if He were not often restraining the evil hearts of men, the world would be far worse.

Of course, this glorious doctrine of God's sovereign government of the world is no longer taught, though it was basically an axiom in prior generations. Most men have rejected a Creator God, and those allowing one do not want Him ruling in their good and evil actions and determining their purpose in life and eternity. They must have free will and free determination of their eternal destiny, or they will reject the doctrine and its God.

Let us consider the heart. Men think it is their own sacred possession that God cannot touch, but the Bible tells us differently. Solomon, a king himself, wrote, "The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will" (21:1). See the comments on 21:1.

God governed the evil hearts of Joseph's brothers (Gen 45:8; 50:20), Pharaoh (Ex 4:21; 14:4), Sihon (Deut 2:30), the Canaanites (Josh 11:19-20), Eli's sons (I Sam 2:25), Hadad (I Kgs 11:14), Rehoboam (I Kgs 12:15), Ahab's prophets (I Kgs 22:22), the kings of Assyria (I Chron 5:26), the Philistines and Arabians (II Chron 21:16), Amaziah (II Chron 25:20), Israel (Is 63:17), the Man of Sin's dupes (II Thess 2:11-12), and the kings of Europe (Rev 17:17).

God can and will judge men for evil thoughts and deeds He used for His own glory, as with the Assyrians (Is 10:5-15) and the crucifixion of Christ (Acts 2:23; 4:28). They chose their sinful deeds willingly, so He is still righteous in judging them (Rom 9:18-20).

He can restrain any man's heart from doing evil, when He chooses to do so. He withheld King Abimelech from touching Sarah, whom he had taken from Abraham for his wife (Gen 20:6). And He similarly withheld the Canaanites from desiring the land of Israel, when all the men went up three times a year for the feasts (Ex 34:24). Why does He not restrain all sin like this? Because He is using man's wrath to His own praise (Ps 76:10)!

God prepared good in the hearts of Israel (I Chron 29:18), Cyrus (Ezra 1:1), Darius (Ezra 6:22; 7:27), Nehemiah (Neh 2:12; 7:5), the psalmist (Ps 119:36), Zerubbabel and the remnant (Hag 1:14), Lydia (Acts 16:14), Titus (II Cor 8:16), and the elect (John 6:45; Heb 8:10; 10:16). If you desire to serve Him at all, He prepared that as well (I Cor 12:3)!

Let us consider the tongue. Men think their lips and tongues are their own, but that is not what the Lord declares (Ps 12:4)! Even Balaam's dumb ass answered from the LORD (Num 22:28-30; II Pet 2:16)! Balaam himself tried to curse, but the Lord brought forth a blessing (Num 23:11-12)! Shimei did curse, but it too was from the Lord (II Sam 16:10)! When Caiaphas thought he was conspiring, he was prophesying (John 11:49-51)! And Peter's blessed answer was straight from heaven (Matt 16:17)! Our Lord's apostles could speak gloriously without preparation (Luke 21:12-15; Acts 6:10), and in numerous foreign languages they had never learned (Acts 2:1-13).

There is no evil that should frighten or perplex you, for it is all under the governing control of the LORD. And every good and noble thought you have toward heaven, you should give thanks, for God has prepared your heart toward Him (I Chron 29:9,14,18)! Run with it, dear reader! For He does not owe you another convicting thought!

No man has ever called on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation, without God first recreating His heart by regeneration. For without the resurrecting power of His quickening grace, you would still hate Jesus Christ with your dying breath (Ps 14:1-3; Is 26:10; Luke 16:27-31; John 1:12-13; 3:3,8; 5:24-29; 6:44-45,65; 8:43,47; 10:26-29; Rom 3:9-18; I Cor 2:14; Eph 2:1-3; Phil 2:13; I John 4:15; 5:1).

Shall we slothfully wait for Him to work in us? God forbid! Such is the wicked excuse of the Fatalist! How do you know He has not already done His work? We are to work out the salvation He has worked in (Phil 2:12). We should keep our hearts as firmly as we can and labor as diligently as we can (Jude 1:21; II Tim 2:1-4). But sanctified wisdom, taught by our proverb, quickly gives all the credit and praise to His grace (I Cor 15:10)!

Bow before this glorious God today. Let Him be your fear and dread! Trust Him. Obey Him. Give eternal thanks for any knowledge or desire you have toward Him or heaven.

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